Top footballer Ledley King bailed after alleged assault outside London nightclub

Tottenham defender Ledley King has apologised to manager Harry Redknapp after his arrest for an alleged assault outside a London nightclub.

The England footballer and Tottenham Hotspur captain, 28, who joined Spurs in 1998, was questioned by police yesterday on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm to another man after the alleged incident in Soho, central London, in the early hours of Sunday.

King was bailed after spending several hours in police custody and issued the following statement on the club's website: "I sincerely regret that a night out with friends went too far. I have apologised to Harry and I fully appreciate that, as a professional footballer, I have a duty to behave in a responsible manner.

"I am assisting the police with their inquiries. Anyone who knows me knows that much of what has been suggested is totally out of character.

"I am keen to resolve this as soon as possible and concentrate on my football. I shall be putting my all into ensuring I give of my best for the remaining fixtures."

Scotland Yard said officers were on a routine patrol when they were flagged down by members of the public at about 2.30am. The alleged victim, Wahib Butt, a doorman at the club, said King punched him in the face after he refused to let the footballer in because "he was so drunk".

King has 19 England caps and was a member of the country's Euro 2004 squad.